I'm reconsidering the wisdom of posting this thread in the Success Stories forum.
Obviously, it's hardly a success.
And neither is the car.
I'm also reconsidering the wisdom of referring to progress in the title.
There isn't much progress anymore, as my fuel consumption has reached a plateau.
Currently, the only progress is even more issues coming up.
Looking under the hood, I spotted a dirty, oily spot.
On closer inspection, the cap on the power steering fluid reservoir looked a bit weird. It's not the original, and it doesn't fit at all, spilling a good part of the fluid.
This is what it should look like :
The attachment shows what I found on my car.